Newsletter for Monday, Jan 18 2016

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

WHY PHILLY’S NEW SCIENTOLOGY BUILDING IS STILL EMPTY, AND WHAT LEBUS BAKERY HAS TO DO WITH IT

The Church of Scientology bought a 15-story building at 13th and Chestnut in 2007, and pretty much nothing has happened since — unless you count a potential visit to blight court. As the Daily News reported over the weekend, the nearly $8 million skyscraper was supposed to replace the city’s current Scientology HQ at 13th and Race. And a sizable amount of that money came from David Braverman, founder of Philly’s LeBus Bakery. He spoke with the DN about his involvement in the church and the empty Chestnut Street building, which is what prompted him to leave the religion behind.

REAL-LIFE ‘CREED’: MEET THE LEADER OF THE DIRT BIKE CREW

If you saw Creed, the movie that landed Sylvester Stallone his first Golden Globe for playing Rocky Balboa, you probably noticed the dirt bike crew cheering on Apollo’s son. And it turns out the leader of that crew, Southwest Philly’s Marquise Noel, has a storyline that’s itself ready for Hollywood. He’s a Golden Gloves boxer whose skills on the bike led producers to increase his role in the film. And it’s thanks in no small part to his determined mother, with an assist from a father figure who sounds a lot like Rocky himself.

As part of the Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service, the center on Independence Mall is offering discounted admission and a day of special programming including live performances, community service projects and a school supplies drive.

BILLY PENN LIKES

PHILLY’S LONG HISTORY WITH SOCIAL ACTION AND RACE

From our archive: Did you know that the first protest against slavery in the country — before there was a country — happened in Philly? Or about the carousel that gave a famous Philly riot its name? On a day to reflect on social action taken by the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Billy Penn looks back on Philadelphia’s Civil Rights history.

ICYMI: THE LONG, STRANGE RETURN TRIP FOR AUSSIE KYLIE FLETT

Most people give two weeks’ notice before they quit their job. When Philadelphia PR professional Kylie Flett left hers at Old City boutique ad agency Neff Associates last autumn, she had two weeks to leave the country. After scrambling to make arrangements (someone to care for her dog, someone to watch her car), she decamped to her native Australia on the last possible day, expecting to return in short order after some routine paperwork. Instead — thanks to heightened security around U.S. immigration, general bureaucracy and a bit of bad luck — her two-week trip turned into two months Down Under.